Described by Thoreau as “The great Outer Beach” in 1800s, the Cape Cod is a peninsula with 15 towns and more than 40 miles in the outer cop of spectacular scenary, beautiful wild beaches, dunes, ponds and charming lighthouses. A big part of the code is federally protected by the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Those I consider to be the best places in Cape Cod are:
- Cape Cod National Seashore Park (view map): this is the real Cape Cod, definitely a must see. I’d suggest to begin the journey early in the morning at one of the visitor centers (Salt Pond or Province Land) so you can provide yourself with information for your visit. At Salt Pond buy a day parking pass for 15$ that allows you to park at all 6 National Seashore. You can visit Truro (a town with an impressive lighthouse and a nice beach called Meadow beach). At the tip of the cape you will find the Race Point, with great biking and walking trails, amazing wild beaches, the beautiful Race Point Lighthouse and the magical 1898 Old Harbor Life-Saving Station (one of the few unaltered left in the country). Other places to visit are the Coast Guard Station and beach in Eastham, that offer super-scenic views.
- Provincetown, located at the very tip, is Cape Cod’s most popular vacation destination, specially for gay men and lesbians (it has the highest concentration of same-sex couple households of any zip code in the US). It was the first landing place of the Mayflower Pilgrims almost 400 years ago and is the oldest continuous art colony in America and the birthplace of the Modern American Theater. Almost three-quarters is preserved in its wilderness state as part of the Cape Cod National Seashore Park
- Sandwich, the Cape’s oldest town, is full of weathered shingles and whaling captains’ mansions and fully involved with American glass production
- Sunset at Eastham: Later afternoon is the best time to really explore the beaches with not many people around. Sunset over First Encounter Beach in Eastham is very recommended as well as full moon beach walks
- Drive-in Theater: if you still have any energy left, there’s a drive-in theater in Wellfleet. Perfect activity for couples and kids (website)
To learn more about the best places in New England, please also read Best Places in Boston and Newport, a yachting capital and a coastal crown.
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Finally, i’d just like to say hi to my good friends Diegol, MarkyMark, Moñi and Juanito. What a funny and amazing weekend we spent back in the summer of 1997 
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Once the quintessential playground of American aristocracy, Newport remains as the coastal crown of New England, famous for its opulent mansions, elegant shops, great restaurants and for being the yachting capital of the world by hosting the America’s Cup for decades.
These are the best places and my recommendations for a two day visit:
- Newport Mansions: The leading architects of the 19th and early 20th centuries built exhuberant mansions for families such as Vanderbilt and Astor. Many of these properties have been preserved by The Preservation Society of Newport County and are open to the public. This is a perfect occasion to explore 250 years of American history and to enjoy amazing cottages that in the rest of the world are absolutely inaccesible behind big walls. Unless you want to visit all the properties, my recommendation is to buy “The Breakers Plus” ticket that gives you access to the property of your choice (the most populars are The Elms, Marble House, Rough Point and Rosecliff), aswell as The Breakers, the magnificent 70 room Italian Renaissance- style palazzo that is definitely worth a visit. Besides this, I would just suggest you to (better) walk, ride (rent a bike for 35$/day here) or drive down Bellevue Avenue were you will enjoy not only the mansions open to the public but also many more private properties whith beautiful gardens that can be seen directly from the street.
- Scenic Ocean Drive: starting at the end of Bellevue Av. and finishing in Newport harbor waterfront, this 10 miles roadway offer spectacular wide-open views of the Atlantic Ocean and astonishing million dollar mansions. Along the way, you can park and walk along its rocky shoreline. I recommend stopping for a drink at the peaceful and quiet Relais Chateaux Castle Inn Hill to enjoy magnificent views of the bay. Once you are there, take a walk to Castle Hill Lighthouse to enjoy the best sunset in Newport. Further down the Ocean Drive, make a stop at Breton Point (also a good place to watch the sunset) or walk down the different public beaches (Reject Beach, Gooseberry Beach…).
- Cliff walk: A scenic 3.5 mile public access walkway that borders the shore line and back lawn that allow you to enjoy the gardens and facades of marvellous cottages, among which you will find the famous “The Breakers”. Definitely a top attraction in Newport. You can easily park along Narragansett St. by the entrance to the 40 Steps that take you to the walk.
- The wharfs: the two more popular wharfs are Bannister or Bowens Wharf, were you’ll find nice shops and good restaurants. I recommend the entertaining Clarke Cooke (with live bands and good night live), the familiar The Mooring (great lobster) and the unpretencious and creative Tallulah on Thames. Ten minute walk north you will find, depending on the season, the best yachts and sailing boats at Newport Shipyard. If you like to sail, take a tour along the bay in the 80 feet Adirondack II Schooner. I’ve been told that it offers a comfortable, safe and high-performance sailing experience.
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If you plan to visit Newport, I’d suggest to read my article about Boston, placed just an hour drive from Newport.
Finally, I want to thank my friend, and amazing traveller, Jorge M.C. for all of the great tips that he gave me. Thanks Jorge!!!
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To learn more about the best places in New England, please read Best Places in Boston and Cape Cod, wild beaches and charming lighthouses.
In the summer of 2012 I visited Boston for my second time. In 1997 I spent the entire summer studying and partying so I am not at all an expert in this city I am writing this post just to give a quick overview to those that have never been there. These are some of my recommendations:
- Founded in 1630 by the colonists from England, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States. During the late 18th century, Boston was the location of several major events during the American Revolution. The Freedom Trail is a 2,5 mile walking path through downtown Boston that leads to 16 significant historic sites and gives you a good overview of the history of the american revolution. I think it is worth taking this trail. (click here to download map)
- The North End (also known as “Little Italy”) is the city’s oldest and most culturally rich neighborhoods and a must stop in your visit to Boston. Known for its fine dining, amazing cafes and great buzz, the streets are narrow and compact and there is history around every corner.
- Beacon Hill is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Boston. Known for its narrow, gas-lit streets with brick sidewalks and quietude. Beacon Hill is a perfect place to stroll peacefuly (Pickney St, Vernon, St, Louisburg Sq…).
- Located in the city center, Boston Common is the oldest park in the United States. Throughout its long history, it has been used for many purposes: public hangings, camping site for the british troops, site for speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. or Pope John Paul II. Nowadays is a perfect place to lay down and enjoy the sunset reflected in the city’s skyline.
- Harvard University, the world’s best known university, is a place that bring me great memories: I studied there for three months and made amazing friends. You should definitely walk around Harvard Yard (Memorial Church, Widener Library, …) and step into any of the multiple buildings, cross Cambridge St. and get inside the Science Center (were many of the students are) and go down John F. Kennedy St. to the other side of Charles River to visit the sports facilities (Stadium, tennis courts, fields, …) and walk around the quiet and beautiful gardens and buildings of the prestigious Harvard Business School. (check this map of Harvard)
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There are many others places to visit in Boston such as:
- Fenway Park: This oldest Major League baseball park and home of the Boston Red Sox team is a small and intimate place to enjoy the best baseball. The match I went lasted more than 4 hours, enough time to eat 3 hot dogs, 4 slices of pizza, pretzels, gallons of coke… . Website
- Faneuil Market Place and Quincy Market: it’s the most touristic spot in Boston. Be prepared to see plenty of tourists and expensive shops and restaurants. Website.
- Boston Duck Tours: It’s a funny and easy way to discover Boston in a W.W.II style amphibious landing vehicle. The 80 min. tour is narrated by the conductor and takes you around Boston’s main sites, including a 20 min. splash into the Charles River for a view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines. Website
- Newbury street is lined with historic 19th-century brownstones that contain hundreds of shops and restaurants, making it a popular destination for tourists and locals. The most expensive boutiques are located near the Boston Public Garden end of Newbury Street. The shops gradually become slightly less expensive and more bohemian toward Massachusetts Avenue.
- Museum of Fine Arts: Holds one of the world’s most impressive art collections and is renowned for its impressionist paintings, Egyptian collections and early American art. Website
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Photos by Pedro Sagüés
Canada offers a wide variety of National Parks. In the summer of 2012 I visited Algonquin. Its size (almost 8,000 square kilometres), combined with its proximity to Toronto and Otawa (5 hour drive from both locations) makes Algonquin one of the most popular parks in the entire country.
The essence of Algonquin is in its more than 2,400 lakes, its unique mixture of forest types and the wide variety of environments, that allows it to support an uncommon diversity of plant and animal species.
Algonquin is an amazing place for doing canoe trips. Its large variety of camping sites and lakes allow you to have the feeling of being alone in the wild.
Our trip lasted for 3 nights and we had the best guides: our friends Sarah and Gonzalo that live in Toronto and visit the park each time they can. We rented the equipment at the Portage Store in the Canoe Lake.
At a Canoe trip you have the chance of getting close to the wildlife (we saw Deers, Bears, …), swimming in beautiful lakes just for yourself, hiking and walking well marked trails, enjoying the sunset while preparing dinner and singing songs and eating marshmallows around the camp fire 
If you prefer it, you can stay at a resort as Algonquin Park is the only park of Ontario to allow industrial logging. You will find very few of them though.
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To learn more about Algonquin, visit:
http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/
http://www.ontarioparks.com/learntocamp/online_resources.html
http://www.algonquinmap.com/online.html
Photos by Pedro Sagüés
When you travel, sometimes the place you visit is so beautiful and interesting that, no matter where you’re staying, it will be memorable (ie: Paris, Venice, Bhutan). Some others, the hotel itself is so amazing, that no matter where it is placed, it will make your journey unforgettable.
I visited the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort in december 2009, and I can assure that both aspects match in such way that they become a perfect vision of paradise. Twice voted “Best Hotel in the World”, this barefoot resort spreads across two private islands, surrounded by idyllic white sand beach and a vibrant coral reef and lagoon.
We spent one week enjoying romantic dining experiences with its fine cuisine and stunning dining venues (undersea restaurant, dreamy sunset at a private beach…), indulging in the two spas, diving in one of the world’s most remarkable waters or just reading a book and doing absolutely nothing while we enjoyed the sunset at our overwater villa’s jacuzzi
Perfect place for honeymooners and sybarites.
To learn more about Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, visit their website
Photos by Pedro Sagüés
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Leopard at Londolozi. Photo by Pedro Sagüés
I have already written about the places I liked the most for going on a Safari in Africa (Namibia, Tanzania and Botswana) and I posted a quick guide to choose the best Safari in Africa. I want to end my series of posts about Safaris in Africa with the one that I liked the most: Londolozi.
Londolozi is a Private Game Reserve situated in South Africa, in the heart of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, which is part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a huge area that also includes the famous Kruger National Park. The main reasons why I consider Londolozi my best Safari experience in Africa are the following:
- Variety of animals: In my previous experiences in Africa, it has never been so easy to spot such quantity and quality of game. In Londolozi, the “Big Five” are almost guaranteed: Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo and Rhino (consider in such way for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved).
- Leopards: Londolozi is probably the best place in Africa to spot wild Leopards. There is a great story behind the relationship between the Varty family (owners of Londolozi) and the leopards, to the point that they are considered part of the family.
- Driving experience: The game drives are guided by a trained ranger, who works closely with a local tracker to find the animals you want to see. The electrical 4WD cars are adapted to enjoy the wildlife without disturbing them. Off road and night drives are permitted.
- Ecotourism: Everything in Londolozi is oriented to protect and enjoy the wildlife. In fact, the root of the word Londolozi is the Zulu word for protect and means “protector of all living things”.
- Accommodation and service: you can stay at any of the Londolozi’s five lodges, that vary from the family oriented to the more romantic ones. Founded in 1926, Londolozi has been managed by the same family for generations. The service is, like in many lodges in Africa, excellent.
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To know more about Londolozi, check out their blog, twitter and website
Also check out this amazing video that Londolozi has just released:
